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An Iranian oil tanker carrying nearly a million barrels of condensate from the South Pars field to South Korea is unlikely to sink despite suffering significant damage and catching fire after a collision off the coast of China. Iran`s Shana news agency reported Monday.
Citing the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC). which operates the 164.154 dwt Sanchi tanker. the report said `it is unlikely that it will sink.`
Shana said. however. that the oil tanker is still burning and is considered to be `at risk of exploding.`
Rescue operations to find the missing crew of the tanker continue. with three fireboats dispatched to the spot to help firefighting operations. the report said.
`Rescuers attempting to reach the crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis were being beaten back by toxic clouds and intense fires which hamper rescue operations.` the report cited NITC managing director Sirous Kianersi as saying.
Kianersi also said that two NITC vessels together with another one belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines have been dispatched to the scene to help search operations.
The Sanchi. carrying around 960.000 barrels of South Pars condensate. caught fire late Saturday after a collision with another vessel in the East China Sea. The accident happened on Saturday evening 160 nautical miles (300km) east of Shanghai.
The condensate cargo had been purchased by South Korea`s Hanwha Total Petrochemical and it was scheduled for delivery to Daesan on January 8-10.
Separately. the International Maritime Organization promised a full investigation into the incident.
